SandV

I have found the more water I drink in a day, the less acne and oily skin I have. As far as belly fat, I continue to eat "good" carbs and cut out flour products.

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DH
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I (6/2/06)

DSS born 5/30/04


HSG 8/26/08 - right fimbria congested with hydrosalpinx
Ectopic PG 4/23/08 (8 wks)
Salpingectomy 4/23/08 (left)
Dx PCOS 1995

"Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift. That is why its called the present."


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DalaiMama

I am 5'5", 123 lbs, and I still struggle with belly fat! I'm pretty athletic, and it's really the only place on my body where I have any fat at all. It doesn't help that my skin there is loose because of carrying full-term twins - I really need a tummy tuck.

I am trying a radical new way of eating as outlined in Eat Fat, Lose Fat, and Nourishing Traditions, both my Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. It's kind of complicated, but what makes it radical is that they say that people should be eating quality saturated fat regularly - butter, cream, red meat, and coconut oil - completely the opposite of what most medical and diet people preach. I find that when I eat this way and stay active, I really don't have any carb cravings, which is something that I usually struggle with. They also address PCOS to some extent in Eat Fat, Lose Fat. May be worth checking out for some if you're interested.

jasminemoon

-----------again, it is related to the GI, carrots, as i read somewhere, has very low GI when it is raw, but if you cook it, it contains very high GI and it is actually worse to eat cooked carrots than to eat chocolate.

MarianneUnfaithfull

I took 20mg standardised vitex every morning.
Don't know about the saw palmetto though as I've never tried that one!

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Dianette
Spiro 50mg
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Ground flaxseed (when I remember)

ModestlyMe

Danielle,
I think we're in the same boat. I'm 24, thin, 115lbs, but still have excess weight around my waist, and I have struggled with acne that comes and goes. I'm also a student without health insurance, and have been trying to combat PCOS with lifestyle changes.

I've found that eating refined or processed foods, especially sweets, increases my acne breakouts and can make me feel tired and even grouchy. I'm trying to eat a vegetarian diet of mostly whole grains and vegetables, and to avoid refined sugars. I don't avoid carbs or fats, only refined foods, like white flour or trans fat. I try and fill up on high fiber foods, like oatmeal, to help with sugar cravings, and to not skip breakfast. I eat as much produce as possible, and tend to overbuy so I'm forced to eat it up before it goes bad, a good trick. Also, I eat a lot of brown rice, its healthy and filling, and you can make a lot at once.

For skin care I use Aveeno Ultra-calming Foaming Cleanser once a day and I use Aveeno Skin Brightening Scrub about three times a week. I've learned not to overwash, and to not put harsh chemicals on my face. I use Olay Complete Moisturizer with SPF and sometimes I use extra virgin olive oil as a moisturizer. This has been working for me and my acne has subsided, but still comes and goes, but its not even half as bad as it was. If your acne breakouts are really bad you may want to consider removing dairy and/or gluten, one at a time, to see if these foods irritate your skin.

As far as I know you can't lose weight in specific places, so I don't think theres any exercises or diets to help with the belly, its mostly hormonal. I recently started taking vitex and an omega supplement and I hope these will help. Also I wanted to mention that changing my sleeping habits has helped a lot. I've always had a hard time keeping a healthy sleeping routine and overlooked how much it affected me. I'm on more of a schedule these days and I definitely feel like its made difference in my hormonal imbalances.

So I hope this helps and that you find what works best for you.
Best of Luck - Amy

QueenFM85

Now I'm somewhat educated on foods but not as much as I'd like. When you say take out the items with gluten, what would those be? I don't really eat/drink much dairy anymore. I drink soy milk (that doesnt count does it? lol) and have a lowfat yogurt maybe once a day or every other. I also started taking vitex and saw palmetto. I got a new job where I will have insurance but not for 3 months. Bummer.

I'm so afraid to use moisturizer on my skin but I know its probably good. My face is just so ridiculously oily but I'm betting its from those products I've used with Salicyclic acid. It's probably trying to product excess oil to avoid drying up. Argh its just an ongoing battle.

Well good luck to you with your battle as well, hopefully we can tame this nasty beast!

ModestlyMe

Gluten is a protein found in the starch of some grains, like wheat and barley. You can read more about it at

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free

So a gluten-free diet would mean cutting out many carbs like bread, and most foods made with flour, but there are many alternative products made with gluten-free ingredients, so it doesn't mean you couldn't have bread. Also, there are many other high-carb foods that don't have gluten, like rice and potatoes. I think soy milk is safe, pretty sure its both dairy and gluten free, but you'd have to check out the ingredients of the brand you buy. I'd definitely say its worth a try to cut out the gluten, just to see if you have any allergic reaction to it. Maybe you could try cutting it out for a month or so, see how you feel and if your skin improves.

I used salicylic acid products before and definitely preferred it over the other acne products out there. I think it helped with my breakouts, but it also dried out my skin. I think using a moisturizer with SPF would be good for your skin, even if its oily. I've always used Olay complete with SPF, and I'm pretty sure they make a kind for oily skin. Its really sheer and absorbs well, its pretty cheap too. If you prefer another brand I'm sure theres plenty of options out there, I would look for one thats oil-free. Maybe you could try adding toner to your skin care routine, just make sure it alcohol free. I wish I could tell you EXACTLY what products to use or what works, but I guess we're all different and have to find what works for each of us.

After I replied to your post the other day, I started doing some reading online about belly fat. From what I gather, it seems true that you cannot target weight loss in specific areas. However, we can lose the belly by doing fat burning exercise in general. Losing fat and gaining muscle can't be a bad thing, even if we're not overweight. So I've decided to start a circuit training routine, since it requires no equipment and can be done it as little as 15 minutes. Check out these sites, the first is about belly fat, and the next two are about circuit training for women.

mayoclinic.com/health/belly-fat/WO00128

bodybuilding.com/fun/gideons5.htm

fitnessmagazine.com/workout/lose-weight/burn-fat/circuit-training-workout/?page=1

Sorry about the links, this forum doesn't let you link until you've posted 15 times. Good Luck!

areeba

I haven't conquered my belly fat yet, but I have had clear skin for about 6 years. before, my nickname was 'pizza face'. i used a lot of topical stuff, but i ended up with peeling, dried out zitty skin. so i started reading a lot of books. my favorite was the Perricone Diet ,which is written by a plastic surgeon. it's about eating to maintain internal health and external beauty. here's some stuff that has worked for me:

-Replace all drinks with water. Do not drink diet drinks either. Even though they have no calories, you don't need the chemicals (more stress on liver).
-Cut out milk, ice cream and pizza. Ice cream and pizza cause delayed blood glucose spikes, messing with insulin control, and causing inflammation. Milk in the States often has antibiotic and hormone residues, which aggravates acne.
-Add nuts or fatty fish to your diet. The omega-3s are good for your skin and hair.
-Eat small snacks throughout the day rather than mega meals. Eating like this prevents your digestive system from getting overwhelmed, and also it will steady your insulin levels.
-Try to eat stuff which will give you a bowel movement at least every other day. Clogged pipes=clogged pores

StephanyM

I'm 5'8'' thin, and 142 lbs and I have also been struggling with extra belly weight, although most of my "pooch" is from my 2 yr old daughter, I've noticed my waistline getting thicker the past few months. I'm a pasta/rice eater, so I guess I need to start by watching how much I take in and switch to whole grains. I also need to start exercizing more than I do and cut out fast foods or at least cut down on that stuff. You all seem very helpful so I will keep reading everyone's tips/tricks since I'm new to this.

Katy-Did

Wow! You ladies are lucky to be thin!!! Hi, My name is Katie and Im new here. I was just diagnosed with PCOS last month. I am 5'6 and weigh 184lbs. I used to be incredibly skinny and then it seemed like I gained all this weight over night...talk about being depressed. I LOVE food!!! I like to eat and I feel like I have no self control. I would love to get down to 150lbs but I honestly don't know if I can do it. I feel lazy because I am overweight and have no enegry...I wish I had motivation to get up and go running everyday or something...It is just soooo hard. Any suggestions???? I don't take any meds except for an anti-depressant and daily vitamin

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spyder

I have the same problem, with the weight, the gym and the jeans. But I solved the jeans problem, purely by accident! You'd never think of it, but low-rise jeans did the trick (I had an old pair in the closet and pulled them out as a lark; put them on, and couldn't believe the difference). Because they go no higher than your hip, they leave the pudgy belly alone. (Remember: waist to hip ratio is often the problem.) I don't feel like they're about to fall off, but if they were, I'd just put a belt on. I haven't worn jeans in over a year and it's heaven to have a pair I can wear again. I just make sure I have a pair of cute undies on when I bend over; unless you're wearing a long shirt/sweater over them, this can be a problem. Luckily it's pretty much expected for anyone wearing low rise these days.

percysgirl

I follow the Weston A Price way of eating as well, and it's made a huge difference in my health. I don't crave carbs unless I eat something sweet, then the cravings start. I used to be a total carb addict.

My favorite websites about traditional foods is http://www.cookingtf.com , their message board at http://www.tfrecipes.com/forums/ and the mothering dot com traditional foods board at http://www.mothering.com/discussions...play.php?f=365

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Percy's Girl
Wife to
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, mom to 5.5dd and 3.5ds and Percy the
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Diagnosed 2001, lost 60 pounds, now skinny and still estrogen dominant! ARUGH!

Snow

I'm also in the same position with the belly fat. Trying to do something about it by doing lots of Pilates as it is all about strengthening the core stomach muscles. It's pretty hard work so I'm hoping it's doing something. Will let you know if I see a difference. Also trying to cut down on refined carbohydrates and replacing them with whole grain where possible. Don't really want to give up carbs altogether if I can help it

spyder

For the life of me, I can't find the info I read earlier about what specifically one should do, exercise-wise, to help budge the weight. But this is what I remember: weight training and not cardio is the best you can do for an insulin-resistant body. Especially upper body, so arms, chest and back. The more muscle you have, the more that muscle feeds on carbs to keep strong. Interestingly, abs weren't mentioned, and I can say this: I have pretty strong abs from working out and riding horses (they're my strongest muscles) and it hasn't done much. They're strong, but they're still covered in fat. Abs, however, as Snow said, are key to weight training; you can't be very effective unless your core is strong; you need your core for every exercise. So I agree, Pilates is a good way to go to build that foundation.

Of course, cardio does still help. This is why I wish I could find the info again: it explains why one is more effective than the other.

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Currently on a TTC break.

SandV

I have found in the past that if I do circuit/interval training I lose the most. I will do cardio for 5 mins then work abs, arms, legs (which ever is the area for that day). When I am finished with that set, I will go back to cardio for 5 mins. I will continue this until I have completed 4 training sets and 20 minutes of cardio.
This increased the fat breakdown on my body.

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DH
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I (6/2/06)

DSS born 5/30/04


HSG 8/26/08 - right fimbria congested with hydrosalpinx
Ectopic PG 4/23/08 (8 wks)
Salpingectomy 4/23/08 (left)
Dx PCOS 1995

"Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift. That is why its called the present."


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.